Human Smuggling

Information and statistics about human smuggling and illegal transportion of migrants worldwide. Data about the routes, prices and journey are collected from intelligence agencies, security reports and other public information sources.

Human smugglers in Mecca charge between $53 and $260 (200 to 1,000 Saudi Rials) to pilgrims making the annual trip to Mecca, known as the hajj.

People who attempt to enter Mecca are required to have special permits that allow them entrance. Smugglers state that the fees they charge are justified due to the time it takes to reach Mecca and the difficulty in traveling.

At the time of the uprising and civil war in Syria in 2011 to 2012, there were an estimated 10,000 foreign workers in Syria. According to the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs, up to 90 percent of those workers were undocumented. They were in the country either through human smuggling activities or victims of human trafficking.

There are over 50,000 unauthorized migrants estimated to be living in the United Kingdom, according to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. An additional 100,000 migrants are estimated to live in other cities across Europe, primary in the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland.

In South Korea, there are over 10,000 Vietnamese migrants working in the country unlawfully.

According to the United Nations, migrants in Laos pay less than $190 for human smuggling services that brings them into Thailand. If the migrant were to use formal labor migration services, the cost would be between $490 to $590.

In 2011, a reported 2,706 North Koreans defected from the country and entered South Korea.

Between January and March 2012, there were 366 North Korean defectors. Between April and June 2012, there were 385 defections.

After the death of Kin Jong Il, the number of defections dropped by 42 percent in the first half of 2012. South Korean officials attribute the drop in defections to increased security. The crackdown on defections have caused the price to bribe a border guard to increase. In 2012, the cost of a bribe was reported to be $6,000, compared to $1,000 a few years ago.